Give you one good reason to read on? How's this: pity. Not pity for me,having wrangled this unruly beast into publishable form nearsingle-handedly. No, read it out of pity for the Sapsuckers, that sameflock of hot-shot birders that soared out of the Basin for birdy-er pasturesin New Jersey (under the guise of a fundraiser for the Lab ofOrnithology--participating in the World Series of Birding.) While the BigBoys were off enjoying fabulous looks at Summer Tanagers and Blue Grosbeaks,the faithful stayed behind--and now our David Cup and McIlroy lists maketheirs look like a day of birding the railroad station in Hoboken. Even asI type, they're out scrambling for a fraction of the warblers the rest of ushave become pals with in City Cemetery. You could spend the time requiredto read this issue of The Cup out birding and pummel the Sapsuckers intothe ground for good. Instead, pity the poor fools. Kick up your heels andrelax.

@ @ @ @ @ @ NEWS, CUES, and BLUES @ @ @ @ @ @

WELCOME TO THE DAVID CUP CLAN: There's been talk that in Ken Rosenberg'sabsence during the World Series of Birding, his wife, Ann James, put in someserious Cup time and made substantial gains on his totals. There's only oneproblem: she's not yet a Cupper. Please, go out of your way to gently prodAnn (and when she's not looking, give her a good, hard shove) into the DavidCup.

T-SHIRT UPDATE: The countdown has begun! Another day or two and Cupperswill be the best dressed people in the Basin. Our spiffy David Cup T's areexpected any day! As part of an in-depth publicity study, our marketingcommittee is asking you to do one more thing: When you notice someonewearing their David Cup T, let us know who, when, where, and any interestingbehavioral observations and other noteworthy particulars. Don't worry aboutletting them know you're spying on them. They'll find out about it soonenough--and so will everyone else--in the pages of The Cup.

SUCKING UP: This just in, from on-the-scene reporter Jeff Wells: "You've allread about the Sapsuckers exploits on CayugaBirds so I won't go into detail.Let me say though, that the World Series for the Sapsucker's was a day ofincredible contrasts. We began during the early morning hours of Saturdaylistening to hundreds of nocturnal migrants pass over in the warm sky. By8:00 in the morning we were picking out warbler songs in a beautiful hemlockswamp amidst the sound of someone getting violently sick. We thought theday was over when the policeman pulled us over after we made that wrong turninto Pennsylvania and were relieved when all he did was give us directionsto Cape May--a ticket would have meant disqualification. The KentuckyWarblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Summer Tanagers, and Blue Grosbeaks came soeasily for us in the late afternoon that we were dismayed at how low thelist was at the next tally. As we raced up to Brigantine for the last bitof daylight, our spirits soared again when we realized that we'd forgottento check 12 species off on the list! Then our nerves frayed as we saw anintimidating line of dark thunderheads moving south as we raced north; wehit bottom again when we pulled into Brigantine accompanied by the sound ofthunder and torrential downpours. Every species came hard during that last45 minutes as we struggled to peer through the rain and darkening skys. Butby the time we were done and had heard a Chuck-will's Widow between the rainshowers, our spirits were high and we had set a new Sapsucker World Seriesof Birding Big Day record."

TICKED OFF: This past April, when Dateline NBC wanted a warm human-intereststory featuring an advice columnist that would satiate the minds of curiousviewers, who did they interview? Dear Tick? No! Ann Landers! That'sright, rather than take a chance on a guest who wouldn't sugar-coat toughanswers, Jane Pauley and friends took the safe road and showcased atooty-fruity, our sources tell us. If you feel moved to write NBC inprotest, far be it from the editors of The Cup to discourage you.Meanwhile, Dear Tick has this to say: "Fooey!"

I NEED MY SPACE--AND YOURS, TOO: Don't think for a minute that the chillywinds of winter have left us. Oh, no. Jeff and Allison Wells found out thehard way that nippy billows are still very much with us. On a sunny Sundayafternoon in April, upon returning to their car after scouring Allan TremanPark in their quest for a LeConte's Sparrow, they found a little somethingslapped to their windshield. It read, "There are hundreds of parking spacesopen here this morning. Why, oh, why did you choose to park RIGHT NEXT tomy car? You are SO STRANGE." Brrrr.

IT'S CUP TIME: This month, Cuppers got ripped off not once (see TICKED OFF,above) but twice. The T-shirt committee no sooner finalized decisions aboutthe David Cup T-shirt design when we get word from our inside sources thatthe Stanley Cup has crashed our creativity. "It's Cup Time"--the veryslogan that graces the David Cup T is now being plastered all over the bubetube. If only we'd known! This blatant plagiarism wouldn't be so bad if itwere being used to promote a toe-twistin', nail-gnawin', brain bashin',rootin'-tootin' free-for-all--in short, an event as exciting and dangerousas the David Cup. But the Stanley Cup? Ho-hum. Rumors are flying that theNHL will be selling T-shirts, too. What's next, Stanley Cup pencils?

MIRA, MIRA: A watch dog group has been monitoring The Cup and filed acomplaint against the David Cup committee with the SPCA. They claim thatour failure to formally invite animals into the David Cup is nothing shortof cruelty. To prove that we are in fact PC, we invited Larry Springsteen'sdog Mira to submit her totals for the David Cup and McIlroy races. As ofApril 30, here are Mira's totals: 53 David Cup, 21 McIlroy. Although not abird dog per say, should anyone doubt Mira's birding abilities, Larry offersthis proof: "To test Mira, I randomly opened the field guide and stuck myfinger on one of the plates. I happened to hit the bottom of a sandpiperpage. She said, 'Ruff.' I turned the guide so I could see it and she wasright! She can't read, so I know she didn't cheat. The second example isfrom one Sunday morning at my Gramma's in St. Lawrence County. Whilewalking, we flushed a pair of grouse. I asked, 'Did you see that partridge,Mira?' As a native northern New Yorker, I grew up with that name, but it'sunfamiliar to Mira. She gave me a strange look and 'corrected' me. Shesaid, "Ruffed," and I'm satisfied she knows her birds."

UNO'S WHAT TO DO?: What is a Cupper to do when attempts to beckon John JamesAudubon, Arthur Allen and other avian guides from the immaterial world tohelp you win the David Cup/McIlroy competitions never, shall we say, fleshout? Drown your sorrows in a pot of tea? Wallow the hours away to thumpin'blues at The Haunt? Not if you're James Barry. James has taken toimmersing himself in marathon rounds of UNO, at the expense of classes,sleep, and--gasp!--birding. If he suddenly begins posting sightings ofSwallow-tailed Kites and Lark Sparrows (noting that they can be easily seenfrom his dorm window), don't go running. It's just his way of luringCuppers away from the competitions--and into the fiery hell of his UNOaddiction.

BIRD CUP BLUES: "We didn't give a damn who liked what we were doing. Wewere just having a good time playing together." Karl David thumbing hisnose at bird listing debates taking place on the Internet? Not a bad guess,but in fact these are the words of Mr. Slowhand himself, Eric Clapton (who,as evidenced by his association with a group called The Yardbirds, wouldcertainly be a Cupper if he lived in the Basin.) Clapton is, of course,referring here to his experience with Cream, famous for their take on theRobert Johnson classic, "Crossroads". You see, the PBS blues special thataired in April (during which that irresistible quote was made) was theclosest the editors (and all other Cuppers?) came to an honest-to-goodnessblues-night-out this month. So when Jimi Hendrix's manager had this to sayabout the man who could take you from the Mississippi Delta to Venus, wecould only imagine it was Ann talking about her beloved Ken and his bins:"First thing he did in the morning was put on his guitar (binoculars). He'dbe frying an egg with his guitar (binoculars) around his neck. He took his(binoculars) everywhere with him, he even took it (them) with him to theloo."

:> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :> :>:> Ralph Paonessa windsurfing off Myer's Point for Black Tern. KevinMcGowan swinging tree to tree high over Ithaca in his harness (or was that asaddle?) in a desperate attempt to see one more McIlroy bird. These areonly a few of the highlights seen this past month--oh. They're telling methis is supposed to be a Basin BIRD Highlights column, not a Basin BIRDBRAIN Highlights column. Forgive me, I'm new at this. And with myfull-time staff, including trendmaster Steve Kelling himself scudding theBasin...anyway, here I go.

BASIN BIRD HIGHLIGHTS by Steve Kelling, ah, make that Allison Wells

Although we've all been anxious to say goodbye to winter, we weren't againstkeeping our winter "guests" on a while longer, and they were apparentlyhappy to stay. Common Redpolls remained with us until almost mid-month,and Pine Siskins were still being reported late in April. A Northern Shrikejoined Steve Kelling and his son Sam for breakfast (albeit it stayed outsidetheir kitchen window) on April 10th, making it the last report for thespecies of the season. Evening Grosbeaks, like the redpolls, were moreplentiful than usual this year and at this writing remain in strong numbers,feeding in Box Elders around Diane Tessaglia's yard in Etna. As forrarities, a Eurasion Wigeon was found by Steve Kelling at the north end ofCayuga Lake; it or another individual showed up a few days later atMontezuma, and good looks were had by many Cuppers. Karl David made a fewlucky Cuppers happy by finding a Little Gull on the morning of April 24th;that evening, it was relocated by Scott Mardis at the north end of the lakeamid 1500 or so Bonaparte's Gulls. It was still in the area five days later,when Steve Kelling found it in Varick. For much of the month, Dryden Lakewas the place to be, with White-winged Scoters, Red-necked and HornedGrebes, Oldsquaw, and Ruddy Ducks taking advantage of the open water to restbefore continuing north. The last few days of April dizzied many Cupperswith a generous gift of warblers. City Cemetery hosted a number of species,including Prairie. In short, April's scale of wintery birds in the beginningof the month tipped to spring in the end.

(Allison Childs Wells is a writer and editor, and has been a Lecturer inWriting at Cornell University. She coedits The Cup in her "free time"because her dreams of editing a magazine on the life cycle of the sand fleahave yet to be realized.)

100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 CLUB 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

We, the editors of The Cup, have found that as Cuppers see more and morebirds in the Cayuga Lake Basin, they need some way to mark the occasion, away of saying, "Yeehaww!" To that end The Cup has instituted the 100 CLUB,our (and Club members') way of congratulating Cuppers at an importantmilestone in their David Cup life. May 1 finds many more Cuppers with afoot through the clubhouse door. But they're not officially in until theytell us:

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IN THE 100 CLUB?

John Bower: "It is a great honor to share this club with some of the biggestbird brains in the business!" Bird 100: I don't know!

Kevin McGowan: "Wonderful, like I've finally made it into the top group atlast. (Or wasthat just gas?)" Bird 100: Tree Swallow

Ralph Paonessa: "Good." Bird 100: Hmmm.

Bard Prentiss: "I haven't thought about how it feels but I'll let you knowwhen I do." Bird 100: Common Raven

Pixie Senesac: "I have made it into the David 100 Club, but I am ashamed tosay I cannot beexact in the identification of my 100th winged warrior. It was either aGreater Yellowlegs or a Barn Swallow. Now, of course, the Yellowlegs hasmore glamour, but my bread & butter (or soon to be) is with the swallowfamily."

Larry Springsteen: "Okay, I guess. Was I supposed to celebrate in somefashion?"

Casey Sutton: "It is a great honor to be a member of this prestigious club."Bird 100: Common Raven

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< PILGRIMS' PROGRESS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What follows is a lie. You'd never know it to look at this list, but KevinMcGowan is no longer a threat. Ken Rosenberg? Bumped off the stage. SteveKelling? A has-been. Jeff Wells? Washed up. And all because of someperfectly legitimate, wildly successful fundraiser for the CornellLaboratory of Ornithology. Maybe, just maybe they'll put in some seriousovertime and claw their way back to the top of the pack. More than likely,next month they'll all be admiring the soles of your hiking boots. But fornow, their moment of glory...

What better way to quiet speculation about whether or not you're a seriousDavid Cup competitor than by being featured in an interview exclusively forThe Cup? KICKIN' TAIL brings well-deserved honor and recognition to theCupper who has glassed, scoped, scanned, driven, climbed, dug, parasailed,and otherwise made his/her way to the top of the David Cup list.

Now, you'd think that with my spouse out of town for 11 days, Cuppers wouldtake it easy on me, especially since you're all well aware that I rely onhim as Errand Boy, Rigging Gaffer, (see masthead, previous issues of TheCup), and now as Key Grip as well. He also likes to think of himself asCoeditor. But all that's up in the air because of the blasted World Seriesof Birding--he's useless to me now, and Kevin McGowan and Scott Mardis havegone and made things worse by ticking in with a tie for April's David Cupleadership position. Juggling two Kickin' Tail interviews is not for thetired and true, so I don't mind saying I'm particularly proud of theremarkable patience and objectivity I've shown in order to showcase theinsights of our awe-inspiring leaders (the miserable little...)

THE CUP: Congratulations! But tell us, is it a little--just a tad,maybe?--less satisfying to have to share the prestigious Kickin' Tail title?

McGOWAN: I'm just happy to be here. Scott has been a crazy man lately,running all over the Basin. Sure, it might have been more satisfying tohave seen one more bird, but I'm happy to be sharing with him.

MARDIS: First of all, it's an honor to share it with someone as good asKevin. Plus, if you focus on who you're tied with, you miss the importantpart which is that Steve, Tom, Bard, Karl, Allison, Jeff, Chris, Ralph,Meena, Ken, etc. all ended the month with fewer birds. That is hardlysomething to be whining in your beer about. And since I don't expect I'llbe getting this interview a second time, I think I'll savor it as though Iweren't sharing it with Kevin.

THE CUP: Is it true that Tom Nix bribed you to haul tail because, like thecast ofFriends, he's worried that overexposure will cause a Nix backlash?

MARDIS: Why are you picking on Tom?

THE CUP: Aaah, quit being such a goody-goody. This isn't Ladies HomeJournal you're interviewing with, it's The Cup. We pick on everybody.

MARDIS: He's a great benefactor (oops, I mean friend). Actually, looking atthe leader board, I'd say if I didn't have a chance of winning, I'd root forTom. The top 10 is packed with professional ornithologists which we can'troot for (it's like rooting for professionals at the Olympics). Karl,already has the Cup named after him--can't root for him. Steve is on TheSapsuckers and has accepted binoculars--clearly a violation of the wellknown code of ethics for amateur birders-- can't root for him. Certainlyof those who have held the top spot, Tom has got to be the home-townfavorite. He represents America.

THE CUP: Can you confirm the rumors, then, Kevin?

McGOWAN: Well, he always is pushing this rugalaca stuff. No, no, Tom ismuch too much the sportsman ever to play games with the games.

THE CUP: Yes, an exemplary Cupper indeed. What was the most spectacularbird you saw in April?

McGOWAN: Okay, my bias is going to show a bit here, but the mostspectacular bird I saw was a crow's egg that turned into a baby crow in myhands (80 feet up).

THE CUP: Wow! What an experience. And a timely one, too. [see Egghead,Dear Tick, this issue.] But as the renowned Crow Man of Ithaca, hasn't thishappened to you before?

McGOWAN: I've never actually seen a crow hatch before; I'm always therewhile the egg is pipping or after they're out.

THE CUP: Interesting.

McGOWAN: Now, if you're after more mundane kinds of spectacular, then I'dhave to go with Golden Eagle. I've waited a long time to see a Golden inthe Basin.

THE CUP: Scott, how about you?

MARDIS: The Golden Eagle I saw from my deck.

THE CUP: Both your totals are respectable, but they're more than a littleshy of the 200-by-May 1 Steve Kelling was shooting for back in February. Do you think he was totally off his rocker with those kinds of expectations?

McGOWAN: No, not really. Adam Byrne had 200 species by the first of Maythe year he and Ned set their record, so that was what Steve was after. Ithink that must have been a special year; we were nowhere near gettingthosekind of numbers. Despite what Ken keeps saying, things are behind for a lotof birds this year.

MARDIS: Yes, it is rumored that Adam Byrne accomplished just such a thing acouple of years ago so I suppose it is possible. But maybe only by usingsomething like year-end accounting procedures where January sales areaccounted in December to get year-end sales up. Independently I would haveto say, yes, Steve is off his rocker (but it is a very nice rocker).

THE CUP: Allison joyously sent Jeff and Ken into momentary spasms with freshclaims of a second Hoary Redpoll, this one at her and Jeff's feeder. Didyou pull off any good April Fool's Day bird scams yourselves?

McGOWAN: No, I spent most of 1 April on airplanes and in airports, so Ididn't get much chance to do anything. (And, I might add, that it wasprobably because I was gone that last week in March that you got the betterof me for the McIlroy lead last month.)

THE CUP: Nah, that was too sizable a lead. And besides, we spent a few daysout of town, too (though on the day of our return we picked up three orfour--yes, exactly four, ha, ha--new birds at Dryden Lake.) Scott, howabout it, are you a funny man?

MARDIS: I don't like April Fool's Day jokes. Last year, Steve nearly sentme into a painful depression with his long, tall tale about findingDickcissel, Brewer's Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Little Gull, and ablue phase Ross' Goose all on the same day. And no, I don't likeHalloween either.

THE CUP: But wasn't that you who came to our door last October 31 in aSapsucker costume? Oh, no, that was Rob Scott. By the way, speaking ofscams, are you aware that angry Cuppers are uniting to have you thrown outof the David Cup/McIlroy races? Apparently, they've caught wind that yourwife, also a birder, has been tipping you off about McIlroy thrashers and soforth. Is there any chance you could lure her into signing up? That mightsave you from expulsion.

MARDIS: Expel me? Hey, that thrasher information was freely shared. And ifmy wife signed up, I'd have to worry about losing to her (so would you).

THE CUP: Ooh, you are a cut-throat. No wonder you're Kickin' Tail thismonth.

MARDIS: And there would also be all sorts of familial strife. We don't haveto remind the editors of The Cup about that, do we?

THE CUP: Oh, er, well, um, er...Let's move along, shall we? What were thekey factors that pushed you to the top?

MARDIS: I saw lots of birds. That helped. What was more important was thatthere were lots of different kinds. Actually, the two most important thingswere 1) luck and 2) the shameless chasing of all the birds everyone else wasfinding.

McGOWAN: I spend a lot of time in the field working with crows at this timeof the year, so I can get a lot of the common things as they arrive. Alsoimportant is Jay's current enthusiasm for birding and Perri's (my4-year-old) tolerance for occasional weekend road trips to Montezuma.

THE CUP: It angers me just thinking about this, Kevin, but our readers wantto know. It's circulating that when Jay (for those of you who may not know,Kevin's son Jay is nine years old) begs you to take him birding, you takehim to places like the Wegman's parking lot, so he won't catch his Big Daddyin the David Cup/McIlroy races. I don't suppose you'd admit to this inpublic?

McGOWAN: Hey, we've seen some great birds at Wegmans!

THE CUP: Riiiiight. What's your favorite color?

McGOWAN: Purple, like the beautiful iridescence on the back of a Fish Crowin the sunlight.

THE CUP: I should have known. And yours, Scott?

MARDIS: The chiffon yellow on the breast of a Philadelphia Vireo.

THE CUP: How poetic. If you could own only one nonbird-related CD for therest of your life, what would it be?

THE CUP: A true Cupper! What bird(s) are you most looking forward to seeingover the next month?

McGOWAN: A couple of things: Bobolinks because they mean "May" to me and Ithink they're pretty neat birds; Blackpoll Warbler because it always comesback on my birthday (the 18th).

THE CUP: Cuppers, take note!

McGOWAN: And Mourning Warbler because they come at the end of the month andare my favorite warbler.

THE CUP: Scott?

MARDIS: The one I can't predict ahead of time. Of those that I can at leasthope for I would have said Cape May Warbler, but I already saw that.Eliminating that, I'll say Sora. I've never seen one and I hope to.

THE CUP: Kevin, back in January you placed 14th and your words, "I'm notworried" (The Cup1.1, Coach's Corner) sent a glimmer of hope throughout Cupland. Any wordsof advice for those Cuppers who still only half-believe themselves when theymeditate on that famous mantra, "I THINK I can, I THINK I can"?

McGOWAN: Keep working at it. We've got lots of birds yet to see. It's justa statistical blip that I'm in first at this point. I've been outside a lotthis last month and a lot of things are arriving every day. There's a longway to go until the end. At this juncture it's almost impossible to tellwho's really in the best position to win.

THE CUP: Thanks, Kevin.

McGOWAN: I'm doing okay, but I'm missing some important birds. As Ipointed out in the first issue of The Cup, the winner is going to emerge inDecember.

THE CUP: Hey, let's not go too far--

McGOWAN: There's plenty of time to get Common Yellowthroat.

THE CUP: Really, we don't want to be too encouraging--

McGOWAN: I'm not worrying about any birds of difficulty code 1 or 2 (see myoffer for difficulty rankings in The Cup 1.1), but only 3's, 4's, and 5's.So far, I've missed 3 of 4 "5's" (poor), seen 3 of 5 "4's" (not bad), buthave been successful in finding 21 of 24 "3's" (good). I figure you've got to see all the 1's and 2's and 95% of the 3's, and thedifference will be in the 4's and 5's.

THE CUP: Come on, now, we can't afford to be TOO helpful--

McGOWAN: Only about 8 species are irretrievably gone at this point inthe game.

THE CUP: You just had to throw that in, didn't you. Well, nonetheless, thankyou for gracing the pages of The Cup.

McGOWAN: Thanks, it's a pleasure to be able to participate in at least oneof thesefascinating and scintillating interviews (even if it's only to pull down theaverage quality).

The editors of The Cup, through statistically significant birding polls, andby running bird-song-encoded information through the Lab of O'ssophisticated computer program CANARY, have determined that recognition isin order for the Cupper who has braved wind, rain, ice, and snow in a questfor new David Cupbirds for us all to enjoy. Equally weighty in this award category is promptnotification to other Cuppers of said sightings, be it via e-mail, phoneline, dramatic hand signals, or tears of joy.

We, the editors of The Cup, hereby bestow April's PIONEER PRIZE upon KarlDavid, finder of a Little Gull. True, Steve Kelling certainly deservesrecognition for locating a beautiful Eurasian Wigeon. And Scott Mardis winsapplause for relocating Karl's gull. But that's kind of like regurgitatinginto the gizzards of hungry Cuppers. And Steve broke curfew and left theBasin during keymigration (just think of what we all missed because he wasn't herepioneeringfor us.) Most importantly, Karl had to get up early to find that LittleGull,and he didn't even have any coffee. So to you, Karl David, a personalized,shiny new teal-green David Cup Pencil!

It makes me mad that the committee who decides on bird names changed thename of Rufous-sided Towhee to Eastern Towhee. I know that they changed thenamebecause Rufous-sided Towhee is two different species now. But why do thebirders in the west get a nice descriptive name for their towhee, SpottedTowhee, when we get stuck with the name Eastern Towhee. It doesn't sayanything about what the bird looks like at all, the way Spotted Towhee does.I think theyshould leave our towhee name Rufous-sided Towhee, and they could still callthe other one Spotted Towhee. If I didn't know that Eastern Towhee is sucha pretty bird, I sure wouldn't be dying to get out and see one. It soundslike a boring bird. I think changing the name like that, especially tosomething so boring,is like stealing from the bird. I think the committee should change ourtowhee's name back to Rufous-sided Towhee.

(Casey Sutton is a sixth grader at DeWitt Middle School. He's been aserious birder for about a year now, and he knows all the starting centersin the NBA. Casey is eagle-eyed when it comes to finding the best gasprices in town.)

(If you have an opinion about the art, science, and/or esthetics of birdingor birding-related topics, write it up for consideration for Scrawl ofFame.)

With so many Basin Big Wigs out of the Basin during production of TheCup 1.4,I thought about throwing the Coach's Corner out the window this month tolighten my load enough to catch the latest episode of Seinfeld, but with thethreat of birder rebellion hovering on the horizon I thought better of it. Upon his return from the Garden State, I gave Jeff an ultimatum: write thecolumn or I strip your name off the film credits. Knowing that being firedas Coeditor of The Cup could destroy future job prospects--not to mentionhis marriage--Jeff took pen in hand. I can only trust that his aim is true.Should you feel that his advice here was purposely misguiding (say, to throwyou off while he plays catch-up with the rest of the Sapsuckers), please,let me knowand I'll file for divorce.

COACH'S CORNER: The month of May always conjures up images of warblersdripping from newly-leaved trees. And rippling alongside them are vireos,flycatchers, sparrows, and many other birds. Fortunately, those of us inthe Basin areblessed with a great diversity of breeding species, and the majority ofmigrants that arrive in May can also be found all summer. So in theunlikely event that you didn't get down to City Cemetery on the last day ofApril to see Black-throated Blue Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler, you don'tneed to start sweating yet. They'll be around for a while.

There is, however, a subset of migrants that you need to think more about. These are the species that breed to our north and pass briefly through theBasin. The fall may bring another opportunity for seeing most of thesenorthern breeders, but if you wait until then you'll miss their beautifulbreedingplumages and songs. This list includes Bay-breasted, Cape May, Blackpoll,and Wilson's Warblers, Philadelphia Vireo, Olive-sided and Yellow-belliedFlycatchers, Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrush, and Lincoln's Sparrow.

The first and most obvious piece of advice for finding these species is tolearn their songs. Blackpoll Warbler and Olive-sided Flycatcher songs areeasy tolearn and hard to confuse with other species. Bay-breasted and Cape MayWarbler songs are quite similar to each other and can be described as higherversionsof a Black-and-white Warbler-type song. Wilson's Warbler is anot-too-striking loose two-parted trill. Listen carefully for the "killick"call of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher or for its soft "chuwee,"--a bit likethe call of a Semipalmated Plover for you sound aficionados. You'reunlikely to hearmigrating thrushes singing but listen in particular for the "whit" note ofthe Swainson's Thrush. Finally, when looking through sparrow flocks, keepyour ears tuned for the buzzy call notes of Lincoln's Sparrow.

A second category of migratory song birds to look for in May are thesouthern overshoots. By that I mean species that breed primarily south ofthe Basin but annually or almost annually appear here in the spring. Thiswould include species like White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Warbler, Kentucky Warbler,Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak. The only ways toincrease your very small odds of seeing any of these species is to spenda lotof time in the best spots for migrants and to learn their songs. Ofcourse,we'll all hope that someone else will find one and we'll all be able to runover and see it immediately. Places like Mundy Wildflower Garden, SapsuckerWoods, Dryden Lake, and Monkey Run are all good spots to look. There arealso a number of species that we think of as more southerly that breed insmall numbers in the Basin. These species include Prothonotary Warbler,Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Orchard Oriole. Since they dobreed here I'll leave them to next month's coach.

Coach Brinkley gave the sage advice in an earlier column to spend asmuch timeas possible scoping the lake on foul weather days. This same advice holdstrue well into May, when terns, gulls, shorebirds, and even sea ducks likescotersare still moving north. Who knows what you might find? At the time of thiswriting a number of interesting species have been found including LaughingGull and Forster's Tern. Watch for Franklin's Gull and in the shorebirdcategory Piping Plover, American Avocet, and Willet. Ruddy Turnstones,though not rare, may be easier seen in spring than in fall. The difficultyof May is that under certain bad weather conditions you can also have"fall-outs" of landbirds, soyou have to decide whether to scope the lake or walk the woods. Landbirdfall-outs usually happen when it is clear with southerly winds to thesouth anda frontline is stalled over our area. The birds migrate north but arestoppedand "fall-out" at the front line. Such a fall-out can be especiallydramaticwhen migrants have been prevented from moving north because of weatherconditions for an extended period of time.

I'll finish by mentioning one last category of southerly overshoots: AlthoughMay is an ideal month for seeing the bitterns and herons that breed in theBasin, it is also an excellent time to look for southern herons. Theseinclude Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, andthough not a heron, Glossy Ibis. Last year a Tricolored Heron showed up atMyer's Point in mid-May. Montezuema is another obvious spot to keep youreyes open for these species.

Finally, as other coach's have reminded us all: time in the field. That's thekey to a great month, and May is one of the best!

(Jeff Wells is New York State Important Bird Areas Coordinator for theNational Audubon Society and is housed at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.When he dances the jitterbug, he hardly ever trips his partner.)

mmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmm McILROY MUSINGS mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmm

After the big blow-up Jeff and I had last month--and in public, no less!--Ireally thought the McIlroy victory was all mine this month. I was surethatafter the dozen roses Jeff sent me, and the romantic dinner he prepared forme, and love songs he serenaded me with from the parking lot, that he'dlovinglyplace the McIlroy ring on my finger as well. But I guess while we were busymaking up, Kevin McGowan was doing a little making up of his own.

THE CUP: I won't lie, I'm still smarting from you snatching my projectedvictory away from me.

McGOWAN: Yeah, I guess, what with a perfunctory e-mail interview, eventhough weshare a building part of the week. Afraid to look me in the eye?

THE CUP: It's for your own safety that I'm using the e-mail. This way,you'll still have your eyes--I spared them only because of yourimportant crowresearch. Research, I want everyone to know, that got you an awful lot ofMcIlroy birds. By the way, that's cheating, isn't it?

McGOWAN: No more so than having feeders outside your office window orworkingpart-time and going birding during the day. Hey, you have to pay attentionwherever you are.

THE CUP: Yeah, you're right, you're all a bunch of cheaters. The leastyou cando now is share the spoils. Where was your most productive McIlroyterritory (i.e., where is your favorite crow nest)?

McGOWAN: Cayuga Heights has been pretty good to me. I've gotten a lot ofgood thingsthere while scouting crow nests. Stewart Park and the Newman Golf Course(American AND Fish Crow nests) are vital, of course.

THE CUP: What McIlroy bird are you most proud of?

McGOWAN: Oh, Forster's Tern, I guess. I've only gotten a handful ofdifficult city birds, like Snow Bunting and American Pipit. Nothing as goodas youralleged Common Raven.

THE CUP: Yeow! And I thought I was smarting--you're a real lemon tart!Aside from my precious (and obviously much coveted) raven, what do youforesee asbeing the toughest McIlroy birds to get?

McGOWAN: Shorebirds. The town of Ithaca has the lakeside, lots of woodsand ravines,and even some open fields, but almost no shorebird habitat.

THE CUP: It just so happens I got a tip from another Cupper about a prettyreliable location where McIlroy racers can pick up a few. But after thatlittle nasty, don't ask me to share it with you! Speaking of nasties, anywords forthose Cuppers who aren't birder enough to sign up for both competitions? (Please, no profanity--your son may be reading this.)

McGOWAN: Slackers. How much extra effort does it take to keep track?They're just afraid of losing face by not being on top. SOMEBODY has tomake up the middle and the bottom. I've always admired people who aren'tafraid to look foolish now and then.

THE CUP: How does it feel to be leading both races? What are thechances ofthis happening next month? (Be assured that this question is askedsolely asa chance for the rest of us to cackle--we all know you're skipping out ofthe Basin for the Big Day!)

McGOWAN: Big Day, big deal. Unless you can come up with a Ruff orsomething again that won't stay put, I'm not scared of you. Remember, thisis a distance race, not a sprint.

THE CUP: How 'bout Laughing Gull? Whoops! That belongs in next month'sissue. You were saying?

McGOWAN: It feels just marvelous to be on top, even if it's just for thismonth. Steve has already promised me a good posterior view for the rest ofthe year in the David Cup, and he'll probably be good to his word.

THE CUP: I seem to recall a similar warning--oh, but that was to Jeff. Obviously Steve's well aware that he's no match for Jeff's better half. Butyou, on the other hand, I don't like these crow research/McIlroy birdingexpeditions, not one bit.

McGOWAN: I've got a couple of other out of town trips planned, and I don'tthink I can keep up the momentum for the whole race.

THE CUP: Good to hear you finally admit it.

McGOWAN: But I'll be there playing anyway.

THE CUP: On the other hand, is it true that if you win, it's McGowan'shome-brewed brewskies for all McIlroy participants?

McGOWAN: If I can find a supplier for ingredients (Summer Meadowclosed), andif I can spare some birding time in the fall to brew, maybe.

THE CUP: Did you hear that, Cuppers? I can attest that Kevin's home brew isgreat--almost worth throwing the competition for. In the mean time (really,no pun intended--really) thanks a lot for rubbing it in, ah, that is,sharing your insights with us.

Yes, our Bird Brain this month is Rob Scott. Rob comes to us care of TheHaunt and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, where he recently beganworking as corporate and foundation fundraiser, with a smidgin of world wideweb authoring thrown in. You see, Rob is one of those rare, multifacetedindividuals. In addition to his work at the Lab, Rob can grind with thebest of 'em down at The Haunt. And then there's Rob Scott, poet-at-large,who puts Robert Frost toshame with quotes like this...

"It is their beauty, their aloofness, and their sheer other-worldliness,"says Rob, when asked what it is about birds that motivates him to take tothe field. "These small creatures travel great distances under their ownpower, navigate by the stars and the earth's magnetic field, and haveimpeccable solar calendars. I'm in awe of them, and they help me find aconnection to theworld I don't get through my computer terminal."

Rob's earliest introduction to the miracle of flight, however, was not as abirdwatcher but as an Air Force brat in Grand Forks, North Dakota. "Ilearned,at an early age, to identify the various 'gashawks' that SAC flew out ofbases in North Dakota, Illinois, and Ohio."

Rob was a student at Cornell when he first became interested in birds. "Mygolf game had become very frustrating. I was looking for a way to spendtimeoutdoors without tension and teeth-gnashing. Since I hadn't seen aneagle oreven a birdie on the course in a while, I thought I'd better findanother wayto reach those goals." With greens fees and having to buy a dozenTitleistsevery week taking its toll on him, Rob turned in his clubs and took up apair of binoculars. "A friend took me to Ferd's Bog," he recalls. "I saw anOlive-sided Flycatcher catch a dragonfly, and I was hooked!"

Most of Rob's birding is relegated to Saturday mornings. "Myless-than-die-hard birding schedule is reflected in my pathetic Cupstanding," says Rob morosely, although, like a good Cupper, he admits totrying to squeeze in a few hours here and there during the week, whichincludes what he calls "car-birding." "Thisis good for honing gizz identifications. Besides, you get such shortviews at60 mph that you don't have time to second-guess your id's. It's much lessstressful that way."

Although he may not spend as much time in the field as some of our otherBird Brains, Rob has a fine treasure chest of birding memories, and a goodmany of these have been close to home. In addition to the aforementionedOlive-sided Flycatcher, he says, "I remember a particular day in MontourFalls when I had close-up looks at Golden- and Blue-winged Warblers; goodwarbler days in Letchworth State Park; an Indigo Bunting framed in sunlightnear Ithaca Falls." And, he points out, when traveling, there's always thejoy of finding new birdson his own--a family of Florida Scrub Jays near Jupiter, Florida, and aPrairie Falcon soaring at eye-level at Crater Lake National Park. The imageof hisfirst Merlin is also sharp in his mind ("a bullet cruising the brush atAssateague.") "And," he adds, "I've had very good birding on trips to thePacific Northwest and Hawaii, where Palila was my 'best bird, but FairyTernwas my favorite."

Rob's been birding around the Basin since 1987. In 1994, he moved from Lodito Ithaca (we suspect, upon hearing early whispers of an impending DavidCup) andnow can bird around his home without being outside of the Basin. He says itwas by "accident," though, that he became involved with the Cayuga BirdClub. "Cupper extraordinaire Steve Kelling and I 'met' through the computer list,BIRDCHAT, and did a presentation to the club on birding on the internet.When Karl wanted to step down as president, my arm was twisted to becomepresident, a decision which was made in haste with the assurance that Iwould merely be a figurehead!" Although such assurances have apparentlyfallen through, Rob admits that there are rewards, among them, "free parkingspaces at the Lab, access tothe executive washroom, a good health plan with dental insurance, and theadmiration of my peers. Ahhh, but seriously, the real reward is in thesnacksat the end of each meeting. Yum!"

Among Rob's other distinguishable contributions to local birding isCayugabirds-L, which keeps on-line birders abreast of recent sightings andbird-related events. "Steve Kelling and I hashed out the original idea. Wethought, why correspond with a bunch of birdhead yahoos across the country[BIRDCHAT] when we've got a critical mass of birdheads right here in our ownbackyard? Plus, I thought the mailing list would be a good place to exhibitmy birding prowess and encyclopedic knowledge of things avian. Boy, was Iwrong."

Having become an employee of the Lab of Ornithology has greatly helped Robboost his standings in the David Cup/McIlroy competitions. "While I am notallowed to go birding and be paid for it, I do sneak some in on the sidehere and there. The Lab buys sunflower seed for a big feeder outside my window, so whenI ambusy 'composing a letter' I can rack up birds for *both* my David Cup andMcIlroy Award lists."

Although most of Rob's time at the Lab is spent raising money for the Lab'sprograms, he recently put in considerable effort behind-the-scenes for theSapsuckers and their World Series of Birding success. In a last minuteshow of audacity (or perhaps to pat himself on the back as a successfulfundraiser?) Rob offers this little multiple choice quiz: "I am glad to seethat you made a generous pledge to the event, Allison. I can only assumeone of the following: a. You don't think Jeff's a very good birder, andthus you won't have to pony up too much after the event, or b. You aretrying to give Jeff extra encouragementto stay in New Jersey while you pick up Cape May, Bay-breasted,Golden-wingedand Prairie Warblers, solidifying your lead over him in the cup/awardraces."

Because birders suffer so many unique trials and tribulations--and with theadded strain of intense competition brought on by the David Cup/McIlroyAward--The Cup has graciously provided Cuppers with a kind, sensitive andintuitive columnist, Dear Tick, to answer even the most profound questions,like these...

DEAR TICK:

In basketball, points can be awarded even if the ball doesn't go into thebasket. It's called offensive interference, or goaltending. If a Cupperuses subterfuge to keep another Cupper from seeing a bird, shouldn't thevictim be allowed to count it? Let me give you an example: At 7:56am on afine, spring morning with southerly breezes, a leading Cup competitor--let'scall him Tim Knox--is walking up the steps of Ithaca City Hall when he spotsa Golden Eagle flying over, headed northeast. He remembers that one of hiscompetitors (me) still needs Golden Eagle and is planning to spend themorning at Mt. Pleasant. Saying that reporting to work on time can waituntil tomorrow, Knox turnsaround, gets in his car and races to Mt. Pleasant, setting up his scope justin time to identify a speck approaching from the southwest. When I ask himwhathe has he says "Oh, nothing, just a red-tail." After I give him my"every birdis a good bird" lecture, he proceeds to engage me in a protractedconversation concerning the recent AOU splits. Our conversation grows quitespirited as we wonder, for example, if we'll have to put an asterisk next toa new record by virtue of the recent split, like Bicknell's Thrush...deepstuff like that. Meanwhile, Knox has surreptitiously snuck a look at thesky while I was expostulating, and he sees his bird--which is in truth aGolden Eagle--pass by directly overhead. By the time we're done, the birdis gone. Shouldn't I be awarded the bird because of Knox' foul play?

--Eagle-eyed in AuroraDear Eagle-eyed.:

I've reviewed the tape in slo-mo and see no evidence of foul play here.Now, if you had had the bird in your scope and Knox shoved his hand in frontof it, that would be goaltending. As it is, I think Knox's clever Cupstrategy deserves a Swallow-tailed Kite.

DEAR TICK:

Can you be standing in the Basin and see a bird outside of the Basin andcountit? After all, high-flying birds might not really be considered IN theBasin. What about if you're standing outside the Ithaca town line and see abird flying inside the town line? Can you count it for the McIlroy? Is itbirds seen from within the boundaries or birds seen that are inside theboundaries? I mean, I don't think we have to go very far here to thinkabout where Ken Rosenberg is seeing things for "The Bowl" now, do we? Andspeaking of that, can you flush birds into the Basin to count them? Whatabout seeing footprints of birds? You know the bird passed by recently, so therefore are confirmed"occurrences." How about if you shoot a bird outside the Basin then bringit in while it'sstill breathing? Is mouth-to-mouth until you get inside the boundariesconsidered sporting?

--Serious Competitorand SonDear Serious and Son:

What Cuppers won't do to eek out a tick! I hate to say it--I'd rather dockyou for being greedy--but while the bird MUST be within the territory inquestion,the Cupper him/herself does not. On the other hand, if you are in theterritory in question but the bird is not, you're out of luck. However,it's my understanding that some particularly desperate Cuppers meetregularly each weekto devise ways to entice birds into the two boundaries. It sounds like youcould use this support group; contact Eagle-eyed in Aurora. As forfootprints, let's say you find what you think are Ruffed Grouse tracks. Infact, they could be the trappings of, for instance, a crow. They're wileycritters, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they were out to exactrevenge by misleading a certain Cupper who likes to play Crow Sheriff by"deputizing" the poor birdswith little colored "badges." Now, by "shooting" I assume you meanphotographing the birds. Photos of birds don't count, whether you're intheBasin or on the moon. Finally, giving mouth-to-mouth will do nothing foryour list, and probably little for the bird, but would surely make you aBird Brain.

DEAR TICK:

Are you aware that this contest discriminates against canine Cuppers? Too manyof the really good birding spots are off limits to dogs! Somehow, thishas tobe your fault. --Ticked Off at MundyDear Ticked Off:

Sit down, relax, take a deep breath, and channel your aggression where itbelongs--back at your Great Aunt Sora for cutting you out of herwill--ratherthan at me.

There. Now let's talk.

I assure you that Dear Tick would like nothing better than to open SapsuckerWoods, Mundy Wild Flower Gardens, and Stewart Park to our dog-earedcompatriots. After all, what's more important, humans being able to seespectacular congregations of gorgeous warblers and rare migrants, or ourfurry friendshaving the freedom to leave their mark, shall we say, wherever they darnwell please? I'm on your side, Ticked Off (with a name like that, you can'tbe all bad), but if I pull strings and let you take your dog into hot DavidCup/McIlroy tick-it outlets, Steve Kelling will be whining for me to let himbird Mundy onthe back of his elephant to alleviate "warbler neck." Can you imagine thecrap I'd have to put up with if I let him do that? So, I'll have to keepthe bars on the doors that keep your dog out. Too bad. She coulda been acontenda.

DEAR TICK:

An astute Cupper recently published an article in a birding magazine,pondering the question of whether or not a birder should be able to tick offa birdspecies if they didn't in fact see the bird itself but rather only the egg,sitting in a nest easily recognizable. His article raised morequestions thanit answered--he wimped out and said we should start an "egg list." Sincethis could have serious repercussions for the David Cup, I'm hoping thatyou, Dear Tick, will set the record straight on the issue of counting eggsas birds.

--Eggheadin IthacaDear Egghead:

How many times have you gone into a restaurant, other than JB's BBQ Chickenand Other Birds (see Cup Quotes, this issue), and ordered two HouseSparrows, sunny side up? When was the last time Betty Crocker instructedyou to combine sugar, vanilla, and a Brown-headed Cowbird, slightlyscrambled? The day that olddebate, "Which came first, the eagle or the egg?" is put asunder is the dayI'll give the cracked idea of counting eggs for the David Cup/McIlroy listsany yolk.

DEAR TICK:

This "McIlroy boundary is a state of mind" stuff just confuses the heck outof me. I need some practical answers. Does the bird need to be within theboundaries or do I when I see it? Or do we both have to be? Suppose I'm atMyer's Point doing the loon watch in November and I see a Red-throated Loonflying south. If I keep watching it until it's a small speck in thedistance that crosses into the McIlroy area, then will it "count"? Do thebirds on display in Fernow Hall count? They don't look too healthy, but...Finally, should I not worry about all this since the race is rigged anyway?--In Need of Answers in IthacaDear In Need:

You're "McIlroy boundary is a state of mind" reference is taken from theon-Internet dispute that tried to disguise itself as serious Cupconversation(see Cup Quotes, this issue). Well, if you read between the lines you'llrealize that this little debate had nothing whatever to do with DavidCup/McIlroy boundary issues. In fact, it becomes rather obvious that thequarrelsome duo are in fact siblings separated at birth, vying for theirmother's attention. Ignore their pleas for a Mommy's soothing voice. Concerning the stuffed birds in Fernow Hall, I'd say go ahead and countthem ifit weren't for City Cemetery this past month. That place has givenbirding abad rap. Birders should be out beating the bushes, stumbling intoquicksand, collapsing under the ruthless weight of thirst and exhaustion.That's what birding's all about. Adventure! Not lounging around in acemetery, oohing and ahhing over birds that might as well be wearingsandwich boards saying, "HERE I AM!" If you'd all been out birding the waybirding was intended, then I'd say give yourself a break, there's a lovelyCommon Tern in Fernow Hall. Instead, I strongly suggest you set the examplefor these sissy-pants Cuppers: Throw on your backpack, buy yourself aninflatable rubber mattress, and paddle yourself into the cold waters of trueCup competition.

DEAR TICK:

I keep reading posts from people who want to know the McIlroy boundariesandthose complaining about where they are. I personally had figured that theMcIlroy territory would (and should) be pretty flexible. I assume that bythe time of the Loon Watch it will include Taughanock Park--how else willthe Red-throated Loons and other exciting year-end birds be able to becounted for both the David Cup and McIlroy races? To be perfectly honest, Iexpect the McIlroy area to be sort of like "The Blob" and consume most ofthe Cayuga Lake Basin--excluding key areas like Montezuma and Dryden Lake sothose who spend an inordinate amount of time there will be shut out of theMcIlroy competition. My question, Tick, is, will the birds I've alreadyseen in David Cup territory that eventually becomes McIlroy territory be"grandfathered" in as McIlroy birds?

--Fingers Crossed and Pen Ready inIthaca

Dear Fingers:

You're fired.And by the way, that's Dear Tick to you.

DEAR TICK:

Yesterday I was walking down the street when I felt something wet hit myhead. I looked up, but it was a cloudy day, so I didn't see anything. Icarefullyremoved the sticky goo from my hair and had it analyzed by a lab. Theydetermined that it was Golden Eagle droppings. Can I count Golden Eagle?

--Still Eagle-eyed inAurora

Dear Eagle-eyed:

I've checked with my sources and they're telling me that thishappened--you mayor may not recall--on April Fool's Day, and you, my friend, are the fool.Apparently, this Tim Knox fellow of whom you earlier spoke not only had amagnificent view of a "passing" Golden Eagle, he was able to catch itsair-mail delivery as well--on the tip of his tongue, no less! I'm told thathe climbedon top of the building (or was it a tree?) under which you were walking andflungthe goo right on top of your unsuspecting pate. Really, though, you shouldconsider yourself lucky. Although this mess was over your head, at leastKnox isn't rubbing your face in it...

(Send your questions for Dear Tick to The Cup, care of Jeff's e-mail.)

""""""""" CUP QUOTES """"""""

"This afternoon, at the Canoga Bait ponds on the west side of Cayuga LakeI had the rare pleasure of seeing all 6 swallows in one place at one time:1 Cliff, 1 Bank, and 3 Purple Martins plus numerous Barn, Rough-winged, andTree Swallows. As an added bonus, kind of a super-swallow, one Black Ternwas also skimming the ponds." --Tom Nix

"Congratulations on another fine issue of The Cup! You havedemonstrated, onceagain, insight not only into birding, but into the vexatious lives ofbirders...I indeed was about to finish (i.e., start) my income taxes today. Instead, Ifind myself scouring the lists for birds I missed, devouring HerrRosenberg's exhortative treatise, and polishing the objective of my newSwarovski while wondering still if I can write it off on my returns (perhapsForm 6765, "Credit for Increasing Research Activities"?). Your onlyoversight was not including in The Cup a copy of Form 4868, "Application forExtension of Time to File." But I assume I can pick one up at Montezuma (itIS, after all, a*National* Wildlife Refuge).--Ralph Paonessa

"Tim [Dillon] was very forthcoming (like a good Cupper should be eventhough Iam not sure if he is [a Cupper]) and started to tell me he saw aBlack-throated Green Warbler. So I asked him where. At this point Martha[Fischer] started yelling 'Don't tell him! Don't tell him!' and then startedsinging Wagner Opera..."--Steve Kelling

"Seeing the [Canada Goose] on the nest was interesting, if not enchanting."

--Casey Sutton

"For those who are listing for the McIlroy Award (can we call themMacAws?),there's a perky pair of Pied-billed Grebes on the inlet at Stewart Park.

--J. CaissaWillmer

"My David Cup total for the year is 49. Not too impressive, except that oneof the species is Eurasian Wigeon. So I don't feel too bad."--Tom Lathrop

"Scott and I observed not two but four Vesper Sparrows behind the airportin Ithaca. They were with the flock of Savannah Sparrows and werecongregating in the mud along the road side. Our best views were when theyflocked in front of the barn door next to the equine research center. Noneof our field guide pictures do these birds justice!" --Heather Mardis "Thanks for the sparrows." --Bard Prentiss

"Friday, 18:00 at the new shorebird habitat south of 13 at the airportrunway, I found one of Scott's Solitary Sandpipers and also had 3 LesserYellowlegs. Unfortunately an hour later only the solitary Solitary could befound. (Incidently, ...this little piece of real estate is "officially" inthe McIlroy area.)--Kevin McGowan

"I've been studying birder behavior a bit and have concluded that theMcIlroy boundary is a state of mind...This principle also seems to apply tothe DavidCup: the boundary was extended ever so slightly to include the house of onegood birder in the area." --Dave Mellinger

"I take great exception to Dave Mellinger's insinuation that the McIlroyboundary 'slid' up the hill from the actual town line to, and past, myhouse. I am well aware that the town line exists within 100 feet of myhouse (lower taxes in Enfield) and I am happy to report that my dog Tuckerand I always have takengreat care to chase (throwing rocks at them if necessary) birds we seeon ourside of the line to the other side before counting them on my McIlroy Cuplist...If Dr. Mellinger can not refrain from making such false accusationsI shall be forced to tell everyone that he once invited attendees at alecture to throw dead song sparrows at the speaker if the talk was not totheir liking."

--John Bower

"Yes, and I now broaden the invitation from those attendees to all birdersin the Cayuga Lake Basin. I know a great supply of dead Song Sparrows,along with dead Bald Eagles, dead Merlins, dead American Pipits, and so on.For some reason, they all look like they've been hit by rocks and chewed bya dog. Just take a look out there by the Ithaca-Enfield line, right next to"JB's Barbecued Chicken and Other Birds." --Dave Mellinger

"Are there no bounds to Dr. Mellinger's shame? I set the recordstraight onelast time: I never killed them, only stunned them. Then, Tucker would carrythem across the creek and gently place them on a branch of the ecologicallyappropriate species of tree or bush and point at them till I could get agood look and make my McIlroy identification. While Dr. Mellinger's wildaccusations fall far from the mark, he does make a good point that allCuppers are invitedto my house for a JB's town line BYOB (bring your own bird) BBQ party. Datewill be announced later." --John Bower

"When I arrived at 1 pm, the sunny skies, warm temps, and southerly windsheld promise. However, Karl David, the only other birder there, mentionedhe hadn't seen much. Karl's probably still there."

--David McDermitt

"Two Pine Siskins joined the finch parade at our feeders."

--Ken Rosenberg

"I'm embarrassed to say I still haven't seen...a number of birds I haveno goodexcuse for missing." --Larry Springsteen

"In the morning I was at Stewart Park scanning for ducks when I heard astrangeSong Sparrow singing behind me from the infield. It was in fact a VesperSparrow,one of the relatively uncommon 'McIlroy' race. In the afternoon I was onMt.Pleasant...I saw a little brown job fly in front of me and give a ratherphoebe-like chip as it flew to the same tree and landed. It was anotherVesper Sparrow, but of the nominate 'David' race." -Karl David

"Living in downtown Ithaca, I don't get all the great siskins and redpollsat my feeder. However, on hot summer nights when I'm barbequing, I amserenaded by the twitter and flutter of those cigars with wings. That's myvision of summer. So it was with supreme delight that I saw my firstChimney Swift yesterday afternoon."--Michael Runge

"Yesterday, we had three Northern Waterthrushes on territory, singing,at ourland in Brooktondale. This morning, a Brown Thrasher is happily tossingleaves in the yard. He (she?) will be even happier when (s)he discovers ournewly neatened up wood chips in the gardens--a favorite pasttime last yearwas tossing them onto the lawn."--Sandy Podulka"I propose: The McGowan Cup."

An egregious error of ommission occurred in the last issue of THE CUP.Namely, the Scrawl of Fame column that I slaved over long into the night wasleft out. Of course, since it was I myself that committed this sad sin (Ialmost lost my editorship), then it is I who must also rectify it. AndRalph, sorry for making you feel guilty for not remembering what my Scrawlof Fame column was about andthanks for rereading THE CUP to look for it and point out that it wasn'tthere.

Here, in its entirety, is the missing Scrawl of Fame (for you collectors ofTHE CUP, this column should appear between Casey's Call and Coach's Corner).

Jeff

P.S. If you want a new clean corrected copy of THE CUP let us know or do acut-and-paste job and send it back to yourself.

On a recent trip to Montezuma, Allison and I stopped yet again at the NiteN' Day convenience store in Union Springs for gasoline, drinks, and thistime, sandwiches, too. As we pulled out and continued on, we remarked atwhat a staple that store has become on our Montezuma excursions. Wecouldn't help wondering how much money had we spent in the little town ofUnion Springs in the last year, and the year before that and the year beforethat, going back to our arrival in Ithaca in 1988. Hundreds? No, we hadprobably deposited thousands of dollars there and in other towns, in thename of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Our ponderings continued: howmuch money do birders as a whole who travel to Montezuma from everywherespend in various nearby communities during the course of a year? Weresolved to at least find out our total; since then we have been asking forreceipts every time we spend money during a trip to the refuge. At the endof the year, we will tally them up and send this tally along to allinterested parties. By that I mean the politicians who influence whathappens with Montezuma, and the business owners who influence thepoliticians. We regret that we did not start doing this years ago.

For some reason, birders, unlike hunters and other groups, have been slow inrecognizing the fact that we can and do wield economic power. If businessesgain a reasonable economic benefit from having a national wildlife refuge(or other special natural area) nearby, business owners will be supportiveof issues that benefit the refuge. We as a birding community are incrediblyfortunate that this large wetland complex, Montezuma NWR, has become part ofthe public domain to be managed for wildlife. Refuge and state biologistsestimate that over ½ million waterfowl pass through the Montezuma complexevery fall and that Cerulean Warbler (a species of Special Concern) pairsnumber in the hundreds on the refuge and on nearby state Department ofEnvironmental Conservation lands. Steve Kelling has shown that Montezuma isalmost unrivaled in upstate New York for its abundance and diversity ofshorebirds. The fact that the area has continued to support such massiveabundance and diversity of birds is testament to the ongoing work of a largenumber of people including employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Ducks Unlimited, TheNature Conservancy, and many others. These groups have joined into acooperative project called the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Project. Theproject hopes to one day have as many as 30,000+ acres in the area managedfor wetland- associated birds and other wildlife.

Unfortunately there are many in the local communities that oppose theseplans, specifically because they fear the loss of tax revenues and thespecter of increased local tax rates. If, on the other hand, localbusinesses were to see real or potential economic gain from encouraging theprotection and management of their lands for wildlife, they would certainlybe far more likely to become supportive.

That's how we Cuppers can help. First, if you are planning on making apurchase of gas, food, etc., on your next Montezuma trip, make thosepurchases in the small towns nearby whenever possible. When you make yourpurchases, let them know that you are a birder by wearing your binocularsinto the establishment, perhaps even make some small-talk about the greatbirds you've been seeing. Second, wherever you make a purchase on your nextMontezuma foray, get a receipt and keep track of how much money you spend.Later in the year (maybe December), we'll ask you to send in your tally(anonymously, if you prefer). We will send a summary to U.S. Fish andWildlife Service personnel at the refuge as well as to the area businessesas a way to show the real and potential economic benefits of protecting thewildlife resources in and around Montezuma. Thanks, in advance.

(Jeff Wells, Ph.D., is the New York State Important Bird Area Coordinatorfor National Audubon and is stationed at the Lab of Ornithology. Hisfavorite purchase at the Union Springs Nice n' Easy convenience store isLemon Iced Tea Snapple, plus or minus a tuna sub, hold the onions. Please.)

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